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Overview

Photos and Description of this Guanajuato holiday castle

This huge 450 yr-old fully restored hacienda midway between San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato, is situated outside Dolores Hidalgo in a small, safe, friendly village. Rent the entire hacienda and become an Hacendado for a week! Hacienda las Trancas has been featured in Vogue, Delta magazine, Dubai, La Attencion, Fodor's Travel guide and various food magazines. This property is fully furnished with colonial antiques and local artisan pieces reflecting its historic place in the rich history of Mexico. It is comfortably elegant, private, and fully staffed with bilingual guests services, cooks, maids, gardeners, stable and pool personnel, as well as a fully staffed SPA.

All meals are included! Our cooks are quite versatile in case you have special dietary needs. Over the last 10 years the cooks have accommodated a large variety of dietary preferences for the over 10,000 guests who have visited. The kitchen crew received a standing ovation from Rick Bayless and his staff when they visited the hacienda several years ago.

The hacienda is more than 50,000 square feet under roof, with 3.5 walled-in private acres. There is a pool heated with a dozen solar panels to assure year-round comfort, plus an 8 person jacuzzi. There are also lovely gardens and enormous porches overlooking the Sierra Madres. A vineyard out back. Our suites are huge with 30 foot arched ceiling and some measuring more than 600 sq feet. Each has its own separate bathroom. These accommodations feature luxurious bedding with high thread-count linens, feather beds and down duvets with floor to ceiling windows. Trail rides on our 12 horses, use of our full circuit cybex gym, 200 channel satellite TV, 10 Mbps internet throughout, mountain bikes, ping pong and Pickleball court are all included.

Best of all our finely trained massage therapists charge only $20 per hour in our in-house Spa.

DETAILS:

Property Description: There are twelve beautiful barrel-vaulted elegant suites with beautiful views of the Sierra Madres, each with high speed Internet, satellite TV, fireplace, terrace, and private bath.

Rental includes entire hacienda, or just rent a single suite.

This property is extremely child-friendly.

All meals are included.

Perfect for Destination Weddings and workshops!

Step out your door and onto the Silver Trail. This is an ideal location for visiting a different colonial town each day, or simply enjoying the best of Mexico's Bajio region. Shop for beautiful Talavera pottery in Dolores Hidalgo, or for everything in San Miguel, while you enjoy gourmet restaurants, hot springs, and golf. Wander the charming streets and cobbled alleys of Guanajuato. Practice your soccer skills on our soccer field, play ping pong, or challenge the locals to a game of Pickleball on our private court. Spend a few hours horse-back riding down to the river, where you may see eagles. Work off all that incredible food in our Cybex exercise room or on our mountain bikes with a trip down the river banks.

Watch the sunset from our terrace, relaxing around the warm fire pit with a glass of Hacienda produced wine

Spa services are available on site in our beautiful spa, with numerous treatments including full body, reflexology, hot stone, and facials. We can arrange all travel excursions for you at the best available prices and provide you with knowledgeable bilingual guides into l locations that most tourists never see.

Although we are not a hotel we are happy to rent individual suites when available. When you rent the entire hacienda, it is all yours. This is obviously not your average vacation rental. Why rent a house when you can rent an entire hacienda!

Our guests are delighted and amazed with their vacation experiences here.

We pamper and nurture you within our walls, and the small village allows you an authentic experience difficult to find in most tourist areas. Come see why Vogue chose to stay with us and photograph us for their San Miguel location shoot. Elegant, yet rustic and warm...You will love it! Once a presidio, or fort, along the silver trail in 1567, it became a hacienda in the 1700's. It's walls are meter-thick adobe. Close the entrance doors and you could not be more secure.

About The Owner

In 2002 we were searching for a possible retirement location. The idea of ‘googling’ “Haciendas for sale” began as a joke between bus, but the tables were turned as wediscovered the abandoned rambling structure known as Hacienda San Joaquin de las Trancas in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajauto. Several months after visiting the hacienda in 2003, we were able to purchase it. Although our original intent was simply to live in the hacienda and restore it over time, our intentions changed after we met and visited the local people and realized the situation of the families in Trancas. What was to become simply a retirement home instead became a ‘Vacation Rental’, and after several years of restoration opened its doors to guests in 2005. Our intent was to act as ambassadors between the countries of Mexico and the United states, as well as Canada, Europe, Asia. We offer this unique opportunity to reside in this colonial gem, to experience what it might have been like to be one of the ‘hacendados’, and have your own wonderful staff, horses, pool and other amenities, and especially to meet and love the incredible people and culture of Mexico. Although we have brought our standards up to 5 star level, and function as a small boutique hotel as well as a vacation rental, we want you to feel that this is your home, not a hotel.

The Owner purchased this castle in 2003

Why The Owner chose Mexico

The history of this area and specifically this hacienda is so rich.The haciendas were the landed estates of Mexico, some with territories as big as Belgium. For visitors to Mexico, they conjure up surreal images of ruined palaces; still possessing a faded grandeur, dominating a desolate landscape of cactus and agave. Before the revolution of 1910, when their lands were confiscated, the haciendas (a term which referred either to the estate or the often huge house of the owner) made up a high percentage of Mexico's agricultural land, and their collective power was enormous. Each one was a rural, autonomous social unit with its own history, and for each, myths accumulate over the centuries

It is said that one of the previous owners won it in a rooster fight (cock- fight). One particularly large caravan was hijacked by a renegade group of soldiers. Although they were rounded up and killed on the grounds of the hacienda, the treasure was never found. People have searched for it for years. There is a letter dated from the early 1800's, signed in blood, that tells of the treasure and how to find it. None have been able to decipher it.

What makes this castle unique

Las Trancas, like much of Mexico, is caught between times. The old women wrapped in their shawls walk next to teenagers in Nikes. Many of the men in town have left for the U.S, in order to provide a better life for their families. Some send money home, some fall prey to the allure of the American life and never return, some die in the desert crossing. You find yourself wistfully hoping that time could stand still, that the people could retain their heritage and culture, and not succumb to the American way of life. But time marches on, and the allure is all too real.

Your rental supports the Village Project.

Proyecto Pueblito, or the Village Project, is an ongoing project designed to help improve the quality of life for the villagers in the surrounding area. The original intent was to build roads, a public garden, a free medical clinic, supply water, build septic systems and bathrooms, provide materials and support to teachers and tutors, build a library, and provide sustainable jobs to area residents. The project has transformed into so much more. The work is supporting the villagers in small businesses, and encourages the next generation to stay with their families and work in Mexico, and help to carry on cultural traditions that are being lost in the face of progress.

This planning is being done with a committee of respected villagers and involved professionals, including architects, builders, doctors, and historians. Already it has begun providing much needed jobs to many local people. It has supplied funds to families with urgent needs, begun repairing houses, roofs, and walls. We have associated ourselves with fine organizations such as Casita Linda, Apoya a Gente Emprendadora, and the Fundación Comunitaria del Bajío. We are now able to accept tax deductable donations to our project. A group of local women has formed a massage cooperative, to provide massages and spa services to our guests. We are excited to be involved in these projects.

Guestbook comments from the manager

Thank you so much again for an extraordinary experience and wedding at Las Trancas. I really do not believe I have ever been anywhere more beautiful... not just the place itself, but all the little touches: the taste and awesome artifacts with which you guys have decorated it, the lovely staff, the food, everything. And the wedding was amazing, everyone said it was the best they had ever been to.

Your staff is remarkable... The wedding went down perfectly... Everything went exactly as we'd talked about. I think that's why it felt like a dream... There was no differentiating between what we hoped would happen and what did happen. The folkloric dancers were a huge hit (and what a great job they did!), and the tequila burro and the fireworks were a surprise to everyone. The fireworks even surprised Phil and me, they were SO GOOD! Everyone was just laughing and shouting and clapping hysterically. It was hilarious. The waitstaff and bartenders were wonderful. The trio - oh my gosh, they played the songs we'd picked out as if they'd written them themselves.

I know it must have take a lot of practice.

It was really special.

So clearly it was a thrilling, relaxing, fun, memorable-in-every-way week. I think our friends and family were really blown away by the Hacienda, the staff, and the way we did the wedding. Many of them told us it was the most unique and fun wedding they'd ever been to...The best part is that we did it that way for us, because that's the way we wanted to get married.

We still can't believe we pulled off a wedding just the way we wanted to do it, and everyone had such a blast.

based on 11 traveller reviews

A Step Back in Time

The first time a friend took me there about six years ago, I could not believe my eyes. This 450-year-old hacienda is gorgeous and stunning and comfortably luxurious. It has been lovingly and beautifully restored. Since my first visit, I have taken four groups there and have also stayed there on my own, when it was totally quiet.

The staff makes it unforgettable. They are attentive and accommodating and lovely. By the time you leave, you are on a first-name basis with everyone. I have never encountered a problem they could not solve with grace and warmth. You feel that you have stepped back in time into your own private oasis. There are enough activities in the Hacienda to keep you both relaxed and energized. Have you ever had a private gym with oriental rugs?

I also love the location in the middle of nowhere. It is about an hour to San Miguel, Guanajuato city, and to Pozos, and about 15 minutes to Dolores Hidalgo. The Hacienda arranges transportation wherever you want. If you venture into the community of Las Trancas, you will see the life of a small Mexican pueblo. Go during a Mexican holiday, and you can join in the life of the community. This Hacienda is stunning and real.

A perfect immersion into old Mexico!

I have been bringing a group to Hacienda Las Trancas every year for the last half dozen years, and it has become a ritual I always look forward to. Honest truth . . . I feel like royalty when I stay there! The rooms are romantic, each different, and wonderful. Over the years the staff has become like family. The cooking is out of this world, authentic, and fresh. (Chefs have come to the hacienda to learn the recipes!) The staff bends over backwards to make any of your plans work, whether you want to lay low and disappear, or explore the three nearby UNESCO world heritage cities of Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, and San Miguel d'Allende. If you want to be in the buzz of a city, stay in one of them--however if you want the tranquility of the Hacienda to sweep over you, letting go of the hectic pace at home, and venture to the city when you are ready, Las Trancas is perfect. And I highly recommend finishing each day with the homemade guacamole and margaritas!

MUST GO BACK!

I've never been to Mexico before this trip. What an introduction! I had a large group of family and friends, and we rented the entire Hacienda. I think this is perhaps the best way to experience this location, if you can manage to get enough people together. What sticks out to me is that the experience in fact surpassed the website. You see the pictures, you see the description--everything looks fabulous, and you wonder: there's got to be a catch? No. No catch. You get all of this but what the pictures can't capture is the experience of being there... MUST GO BACK!

So, on to the details:

Was the listing accurate? YES

Was the property clean and well-maintained? The property is OLD but that's a huge part of the experience and charm. Very well maintained for what it is.

Did the owner/manager provide good customer service? YES. When managing a group event you will need lots of communication and the managers Tere and Alejandro were completely ready for this, and maintained a great flexible attitude when scheduling complexities came up.

Would you recommend? YES! I think I have recommended this experience to everyone I know!

What activities, attractions, restaurants? Go to the cities San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Dolores Hidalgo. The small city where the Hacienda is situated (Trancas) is also fun ... the staff can tell you interesting places to visit everywhere. Also, a must: the winery Cuna de Tierra. Incredible.

The Hacienda itself is rich with activities and the food is outstanding. If you are planning a big celebration (in our case we were celebrating a wedding) the Hacienda can help you arrange some great spectacles. We went for the "works" piñata, tequila burro, folklorico dancers, outdoor dining, mariachis, fireworks. The whole celebration was incredible! So many fond memories to look back over.

Relaxation in a Beautiful and Historic Setting

My extended family and I enjoyed a wonderful 4-day stay at Hacienda Las Trancas. The Hacienda is beautiful: unique architecture, colorful gardens, stunning rooms. The friendly and attentive staff (there are lots of them!) only enhanced the experience and made us feel at home. In all we were two families of five (young children ages 4 months to 7 years old) and grandparents. We had the whole place to ourselves and occupied the southern side of the Hacienda (recommended in February as this side stays warmer and the evenings can get quite chilly during this time of year).

The margaritas after a long drive set the perfect tone for the rest of our trip. The meals were delicious and loving prepared. The kitchen staff even made snacks between meals for our kids after they wandered in hungry after a morning horseback ride or bicycles in the patio. The wine and alcohol, while limited in selection, were modestly priced. The adults even learned to appreciate that we had to buy the bottle of tequila (rather than order more drinks by-the-glass) as this encouraged the consumption of more margaritas!

We took advantage of seemingly everything Las Trancas had to offer: horseback rides, a personal folkloric dance show, a guide for our day trip to Guanajuato. The nannies who cared for our children were excellent with the result being the adults were able to relax more while the kids had more fun exploring. Perhaps the only regret of the entire trip was that we didn't find out how wonderful the massages were until later in our trip--we would have booked more had we known!

All in all, everyone in our group had a wonderful and relaxing time at Hacienda Las Trancas. In fact, we booked a trip to return only months later!

Magical Hacienda in the Heart of Mexico

What an awesome, beautiful place to stay. My husband and recently went to Hacienda las Trancas for our wedding celebration and brought our whole family and some friends. We had the whole place to ourselves and couldn't have been happier with our experience. The place is huge with beautiful gardens, horse stables and orchards. In the small town of of Doleres Hidalgo it was very close to the surrounding cities of San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato and Dolores Hidalgo which the hacienda was very accommodating to provide transportation to with our entourage of 24 people. It was just what we were looking for, a secluded getaway with all the luxuries of a 5star hotel. We rented out the whole place for a week and they made us feel like it was our home. There is plenty to do at the hacienda from horse back riding everyday, pool & jacuzzi, spa, even some impromptu cooking classes with their amazing chef Yolanda! The FOOD! Chef Yolanda and her team were a highlight of the trip. Everyday she prepared beautiful authentic meals, breakfast, lunch & dinner using local ingredients and vegetables grown right there in the gardens. And she was very accommodating to our guest varied paletas some being vegan and others with food allergies...never a boring meal in the spectacular dining room.

We had the Hidalgo suite which was just stunning! All the suites were beautiful with a unique character of their own. The best part of our stay was our FIESTA night which was so intricately arranged by owners Kelley & Stephen with the organization of the staff. They perfectly executed our party to include a tequila burro, piñata for the kids, incredible folkloric dancers, mariachis, dinner by the fountain and an awesome firework display with a huge 3story "Castillo" fireworks contraption. Our guest were just stunned by the whole production.

Really can't say enough good things about Las Trancas. They really made us feel at home and our guest are still talking about the great time we had!

Best advice I can give for future guest is to plan your day trips to the surrounding cities a day apart from each other, the rest days in between help for the next days adventure. Also schedule a trip to the near by vineyards at Cuna de Tierra, so close and beautiful with a private tour, wine tasting and beautiful lunch.

We are already planning our return to Hacienda las Trancas, such a magical place!

Enchanting and more beautiful than the photos

I brought a group of people to the Hacienda for a Wellness Retreat and it was more than the perfect setting. I can't speak highly enough for the service and attention to detail for our entire stay. Stephen and his staff went above and beyond for us each day and Yolanda's food is worth the trip alone! The rooms are stunning and full of Mexican antiques. We did yoga on the veranda in the warm morning sunshine and sat and watched the sun go down in the evening. We had lovely visits to San Miguel de Allende, Dolores Hildalgo, and Leon. The spa services were just great and at those prices, we all had a couple. This is quite a special place and is perfect for rest and relaxation, families or special events. We hiked through the countryside and went horseback riding at sunset. We will be back next year!

Notes: Rates are based on 10 guests; add A$202 per night, per additional guest

Additional information about rental rates

Tax Rate

18.0%

For the exclusive rental of the entire hacienda, there is minimum of 10 adults or an equivalent payment at $150/person/night ($100 during our Autumn discount). We offer a slding scale for greater numbers. Please inquire through HomeAway or VRBO or contact us at 'stephen' at 'haciendalastrancas' dot 'com'

Manager's Cancellation Policy

Please ask the manager or check their rental agreement when booking the property.